Many have the sense that we're facing a huge societal shift, and astrology is one way to forecast ahead. Even so, says futurist and astrologer Michael St. Clair, "Get ready for what you cannot even imagine." With such rare dramatic planetary alignments ahead, we're not able to know just how things will change. It's humbling to live with such uncertainty, but St. Clair says we can't discern the unknown with known means. A former investment banker who says, "buy gold" if you can, he also says it's time to form small, self-sufficient communities -- radiant zones -- to weather the storm ahead. You can read more at Michael St. Clair's Vision for the Future.

I'm fascinated by visionaries that include "extraterrestrials" in their worldview. St. Clair says, we are extraterrestrials, that we all come from outer space. But that doesn't mean "they," possibly our ancestors, are going to save us. Michael St. Clair says he gets guidance from "the Nordics," an E.T. group, that encourage us to figure it out. In the interview I've summarized at the link above, he talks about changes in magnetics of the Earth, earth changes, people short-circuiting and the need to stay focused on the here and now.

There's a buzz about "disclosure" of E.T.'s for this year, and it's got a bright beam on it with Jupiter-Neptune in Aquarius. In a message called "Lessons I've Learned Upon Coming to Earth" James Gilliland of ECETI.org, also stresses that it's a critical time to find our own self-authority. ECETI stands for Enlightened Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Lately, Gilliland's messages have been urging truthtellers to stand up and be heard, and that fits with Saturn's move into justice-loving Libra. These are two visionaries that communicate with other worlds, but their message is about being firmly rooted in this one.

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I saw the movie 2012 yesterday, and noticed a protest scene for year 2009 with signs saying, "drop the debt." It's taboo to talk about, but debt kills. It causes indebted people and nations to lose everything. Scorpio is associated with debt, and the hold it has on our life force. Debt brings us to our knees. It makes us beholden to another, which brings on loss of power and dignity.

This weekend, Saturday Night Live mashed up sex and debt (Scorpio) in a mock press conference between President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. It was all about sex and power, as Jintao implied he should be romanced before "you do sex to me!" The elephant in the room is debt to China, and it's an awkward contrast to Obama's eloquent promises. It also points out how debt puts a nation in a subservient position to the debtor. The lecturing on human rights and so on is no longer tolerated.

Today's Venus (Scorpio) square to Jupiter (Aquarius) will spotlight debt, and how it leads us to compromise our integrity. There may be public actions that seek to liberate humanity from this web of debt. I found out that my tax preparer (another Scorpio theme) is part of an emerging American Open Currency Standard. The participating businesses (over 26,000) accept a currency of silver coins, and/or barter of equal value goods and services

It's likely a sign of things to come, as America tries to free itself from an economic model that inherently creates debt. As the economy grows, so does the interest, since printing money has been "outsourced" to the private Federal Reserve. It's exciting to see the People rebel in this way, since as the AOCS itself says, "America's Founding Fathers regarded economic independence as the root cause of the revolutionary war." It's a step toward restoring real value to the currencies we use to exchange the fruit of our labors.

Brendan Smialowski/Protest at World Bank, 2005

In the darkest time of the year, the Sun is in the sparking sign of Sagittarius. It's a month of looking for the light within, as the solar light wanes through to Winter Solstice (Dec. 21st). When that warms us up from within, we re-discover our own natural optimism. It's a time for finding faith in the darkness....

Sun in Sagittarius brings:

• The rhythm of being in-motion that gets you moving!
• A social curiosity that makes it easier to mingle at the holidays.
• The impulse to learn, travel, experience....a time to dream of future plans.
• Startling, bold communication that wakes you up!
• The restless desire to experience life, firsthand.
• The awareness of "signs" like serendipity, that show you you're where you're meant to be.

The Sun in Sagittarius gives us a solar dose of real optimism. Not from being in denial, but from knowing that despite how bad things look, things always evolve. You never know who you're going to meet, or how an experience will change you. It's knowing that there's some kind of divine hand, guiding you forward on the path.

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Since it appears that something wicked this way comes that could affect our health, it's wise to boost the immune system as much as possible. Some countries, like Serbia are turning to garlic as a tried and true "folk remedy," and Moldova is giving out extra cloves to their soldiers. In his article on Star IQ called Your Health and Neptune, herbalist and astrologer Jonathan Keyes has other natural remedies to try.

Neptune in medical astrology is linked to the immune system, which is the lymph glands and vessels that help us fight off disease. And there's a guide in that, says Jonathan, that faith (Neptune) and healing go together. Besides immune boosting herbs like echinachea, astralgus and reishi mushroom, Keyes recommends things like:

• meditation and prayer
• taking a break from the mundane...and escape to the sublime (watch the clouds?)
• essential oils or just comforting kitchen aromas
• rediscover the wonder found in nature

Keyes says that Neptunian types, being more sensitive to toxins in the environment, need to take special care. You're strongly influenced by Neptune, he says, if you've got planets in Pisces, many planets in the Twelfth House, Neptune on one of the angular houses (1st, 4th, 7th or 10th), or if Neptune is part of a planetary aspect in your chart.

For sensitive Neptunian types, writes Keyes, "When our immune system is strong, we feel healthy and vibrant and can live in the world without being overwhelmed and overpowered. When our immune system is low, we feel run down and wilted like an old flower." In the second part of Your Health and Neptune, he has excellent nutritional and lifestyle suggestions, like drinking lots of the purest water available. Having a Berkey Water Filter has made me want to drink more water, because it doesn't taste all chemical-ly.

Many of Keyes suggestions are back-to-basics. They're a reminder that if our bodies get nutrients (in real food) and sleep, that our immune system can do the rest. And that as Keyes says, "faith can move mountains" when we're trying to stay healthy.

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